Nov. 6, 2001
Casting a New Framework
Hobbs Prepares Team For New Season
By Greg
Licamele
Karl Hobbs sits at his desk in the mens basketball townhouse on
G Street, meticulously trimming family photos, shaping the picture to
fit the frame. Similarly, the new head coach is crafting a picture of
the Colonials with his squad of men. Hes examining their strengths
and strengthening their weaknesses in an effort to present his team
in a new frame to the GW community and the college basketball world.
People around here want a good basketball team in the worst way,
Hobbs says. Im not saying wins and losses. They truly want
a team they can be proud of on the court and proud of what they do off
the court and thats important to me.
The 40-year-old coach, husband, and father arrived in Foggy Bottom six
months ago. He spent eight years as an assistant coach at Connecticut,
where he was part of an NCAA championship team in 199899 that
posted a 342 record. During these six months at GW, he has experienced
a sense of community he describes as incredible. His wife, JoAnn, has
been welcomed warmly by people in the community such as Francine Trachtenberg.
His 12-year-old daughter, RaShauna, dreams of playing hoops and Hobbs
predicts the womens basketball players are going to think shes
a member of Joe McKeowns team because shell be around so
often. Another example of this warm welcome is when Hobbs and his staff
bring potential student-athletes to campus. The coaches plan all of
the details except one touring the residence halls. He and his
staff choose three residence halls for recruits to visit, but they choose
a trio of students at random to show these high-school students what
a college dorm room looks like.
Its amazing how the students sell this place to recruits
for us, says Hobbs, rating recruiting as the biggest challenge
in college basketball. Theyre enthusiastic and theyre
so excited, they cant wait to show a complete stranger, whos
a potential student here, their place.
Right now, Hobbs is still somewhat of a stranger to his players since
official practices began just three weeks ago. As the weeks, practices,
and games accumulate, Hobbs believes the Colonials, who posted a 1418
record last season, will gel as a team, though not without their challenges.
Its going to take some time, but the biggest thing is for
them to get to know my personality, Hobbs says. I think
the other part of it is them understanding the commitment that must
be made. That commitment is the level of intensity and that level of
hard work.
With a team that lost 59 percent of its scoring from last year, Hobbs
knows his team needs to outwork opponents. Next to outworking everyone,
Hobbs and his coaching staff of Kevin Broadus, Darrell Brooks, and Steve
Pikiell, are building a team rooted in defense, rebounding, and completing
the fast break.
Those are what I want our goals to be, Hobbs declares. The
most important thing we have to do at this early stage of the season
is establish a work ethic and a commitment to hard work. Once we establish
that, then our goal, when we play UConn or Yale, is to simply try and
outwork them.
Junior Chris Monroe will be one of the primary players on the new look,
new picture Colonials. Named to the A-10 Conference Third Team last
season, Monroe averaged nearly 19 points and six rebounds a game. Senior
Jaason Smith will anchor the inside game, building on his team honor
of Most Improved Player last season. Albert Roma will see playing time
as he brings experience to the floor. Hobbs needs these three players,
the only upperclassmen on the Colonials, to demonstrate experience to
help frame a good team.
The biggest challenge we have this year is trying to overcome
our lack of experience, says Hobbs, whose team begins play Nov.
15 against Marshall in Lexington, KY. When you look at this team
and whos returning, you get scared because theres only one
guy returning that has played regularly.
Fresh, young faces are as much of a factor in the A-10 conference as
they are at GW. Of the 12 teams in the conference, eight new coaches
will patrol the sidelines this season.
Because of the uncertainty, I think thats an opportunity
for us to make a jump, Hobbs says. I think it will make
the league a little more exciting because when you bring in a new coach,
theres a little bit more excitement, a little more urgency to
win.
Hobbs has the urgency to win. Yet, he knows hard work and discipline
on and off the court will create a new picture of GW mens basketball,
as the corners of the past are trimmed away, ready to fit a new frame
and a new era.
If I had to describe our team today, were not where we should
be. Were not what we ought to be. And thank God, were not
what we used to be.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu